Rahul Gandhi's comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's New Year interview was "staged" and done by a "pliable journalist" drew a sharp riposte from Union Minister Arun Jaitley, who called him the "Grandson of the Emergency Dictator".
In tweets this morning, Arun Jaitley said: "The Grandson of the Emergency dictator' displays his real DNA - attacks and intimidates an independent editor."
While attacking PM Modi over the Rafale jet deal, Rahul Gandhi had referred to his exclusive interview to ANI editor Smita Prakash on January 1.
"He (Modi) does not have the guts to come and sit in front of you. And I am coming here, you can ask me any question. You saw the prime minister's interview yesterday...matlab pliable journalist, she was asking questions and was even giving answers."
The Congress president had also referred to the interview during the Rafale debate in the parliament earlier: "The nation is asking why the Prime Minister can speak for one-and-a-half hour in a staged interview and not answer fundamental questions on Rafale."
Smita Prakash called Mr Gandhi's comments a "cheap shot" in a tweet.
The National Union of Journalists has also protested Mr Gandhi's comments on the ANI editor.
'INDIA' Is with You Against "Injustice": Rahul Gandhi To Arvind Kejriwal Person In Constitutional Post Trying To Destroy Economy: Jagdeep Dhankhar Rahul Gandhi's Seat At Red Fort Triggers Fresh Congress Attack On BJP Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Siddaramaiah's Swipe At Governor Amid Calls For Resignation: 10 Points Elon Musk's X To Close Brazil Operations Over "Censorship Orders" Retired Colonel Recalls How Daughter Was Eve-Teased On Her Way To College Top Institutes In India For Architecture And Planning Courses Passengers Can Now Rent Power Banks On NaMo Bharat Trains Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.